Betwa river crossing: Why these MP students risk their lives every day to attend school

Children from Kakraua village in Madhya Pradesh's Vidisha district are risking their lives every day by crossing a series of concrete pillars on a check dam over the Betwa river to reach school. They take the dangerous shortcut to avoid a much longer commute. A video showing the children hopping across wide gaps between the pillars has gone viral on social media, raising concerns over inadequate infrastructure and student safety.

Kakraua has a school only up to Class 8. The nearest school offering education up to Class 10 is about 13 km away by road. By crossing the check dam, the distance is reduced to around 1.5 km. As a result, nine students, including five girls studying in Class 9, use the risky route every day.

The village falls under the constituency of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and current Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.


To cross the dam, students walk and jump across a series of exposed concrete pillars placed about three to four feet apart. They hop across nearly 10 pillars during each trip. Villagers say the route becomes even more dangerous during the monsoon, when the pillars turn slippery and the river's current strengthens.

“We have to work in the fields, so we can’t drop our children off at school and back,” said a parent. “They find it easier to cross the dam nearby... We only have two options: we either stop sending our children to school or continue sending them this way even though it’s dangerous.”

The impact of the unsafe route is already being felt. A student failed her final examinations earlier this year after missing school because she could not cross the pillars due to her short height. She is now repeating Class 9. Parents fear that if the situation continues, more children could face academic setbacks or a serious accident.

“I visited the spot and informed the collector about this,” Ahirwar said. “I have written to higher authorities to find a solution soon.”

However, he did not specify when a safe river crossing would be built. Local residents are urging the authorities to provide a permanent solution so children can attend school safely without risking their lives every day.